as in intruding
to cause a disruption in a conversation or discussion
it's rude to interrupt when someone is making an important point
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Recent Examples of interrupting
This is not simply a story of crisis interrupting democracy.
—
Jasmin Lilian Diab, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2026
Because the mind is always interrupting with nonsensical thoughts that are completely meaningless, most of the time, and a lot of times negative.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The TikTok tactic appears to work by interrupting a child’s emotional escalation with confusion or curiosity—essentially redirecting attention.
—Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
That’s a reference to what Duncan always intended, and rightly so, as a holistic approach to the problem of violent crime, involving not just violence interrupting by former gang members turned peacekeepers but better education and job opportunities for the young people most at risk.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
And by interrupting the momentum of a room-wide consensus, the structure helps surface concerns that might otherwise remain unspoken.
—Jane Sadowsky, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
West Texas Intermediate May futures also saw a noticeable pickup in trading activity at roughly the same time, with a distinct volume spike interrupting otherwise quiet conditions.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
At the height of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, local health care providers across specialties held a powerful press conference, sounding the alarm about Immigration Customs Enforcement presence at hospitals and interrupting patients’ abilities to seek medical care.
—Dr. Lauren Palladino, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
In this environment, an effective national counterterrorism strategy would likely point to stopping terrorism further upstream, interrupting radicalization and violent mobilization at an earlier stage.
—Jacob Ware, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
Jasmin Lilian Diab, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2026
Because the mind is always interrupting with nonsensical thoughts that are completely meaningless, most of the time, and a lot of times negative.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The TikTok tactic appears to work by interrupting a child’s emotional escalation with confusion or curiosity—essentially redirecting attention.
—Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
That’s a reference to what Duncan always intended, and rightly so, as a holistic approach to the problem of violent crime, involving not just violence interrupting by former gang members turned peacekeepers but better education and job opportunities for the young people most at risk.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
And by interrupting the momentum of a room-wide consensus, the structure helps surface concerns that might otherwise remain unspoken.
—Jane Sadowsky, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
West Texas Intermediate May futures also saw a noticeable pickup in trading activity at roughly the same time, with a distinct volume spike interrupting otherwise quiet conditions.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
At the height of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, local health care providers across specialties held a powerful press conference, sounding the alarm about Immigration Customs Enforcement presence at hospitals and interrupting patients’ abilities to seek medical care.
—Dr. Lauren Palladino, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
In this environment, an effective national counterterrorism strategy would likely point to stopping terrorism further upstream, interrupting radicalization and violent mobilization at an earlier stage.
—Jacob Ware, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for interrupting
Verb
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Where that movie was about one man intruding upon everyone else’s thoughts, however, this one is about everyone else’s thoughts intruding upon one man.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
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But instead of being destroyed like other intruding pathogens, the spores germinate and multiply.—
Hannah Kinzer,
The Conversation,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But that doesn’t excuse failing to execute on the ABCs of lobbying — such as not bothering even to show up at a hearing on a policy the mayor considers an urgent priority.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Both players scored in double figures on Sunday, but Santos was ruled out against the Kings because of a pelvis injury that has been bothering him for weeks.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Alysha Khan said, adding that her dad eagerly agreed.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
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In addition to hiring ambassadors, money will also go toward adding staffers in the security operations center, which collects feeds from more than 2,000 cameras, and security guards who are typically law enforcement.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the spare use of cutting in key moments can be a drag — when your brain is working faster than the movie, that’s a problem.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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The skin should look dry and slightly blistered, the potato should give with a gentle squeeze, and after cutting in, the flesh should look fluffy and steamy.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Interrupting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interrupting. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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